GW 13 FPL #JackInTheBox

Hello and howdy everyone.  We are all in for a treat today. It's Thanksgiving weekend here in the USA, which means the holidays are here, I have the day off from work, and for the first (and hopefully last) time, I will be bringing you my weekly #JackInTheBox pick smack in the middle of a play date where my 6 and 4 year old daughters have invited 2 of their equally 6 and 4 year old friends to come over, scream real loud, and run around our house as fast as they can (while screaming real loud).  So while Peppa Pig (who has the coolest voice on television, by the way) blasts in my ear directly behind me, we're off...

This week's #JackInTheBox, as always, focuses on a player from a team in the bottom 5 of the Prem who also has less than 3% ownership.  It's the "differential's differential", as I've seen it referred to.  This week's fixture list for the bottom 5 is juicy, juicy, juicy, as 4 teams in the bottom 5 square off against one another.  I can't imagine a better scenario for future #JackInTheBoxes, and having immersed myself in the bottom 5 for the past few gameweeks, am literally buzzing with anticipation to see how things shake out.

Sunderland (the only squad to face a non-bottom 5 opponent this week) are away to Villa, and I don't see much in it for a Black Cats squad still struggling to find their footing, especially with the likes of our greatest American hero Guzan protecting a Villa goal that may or may not see much action come gametime. Crystal Palace are away to fellow bottom 5 squad Norwich, while Fulham and West Ham, 18th and 17th respectively, face off in a match at Upton Park that I for one hope I get to see in its entirety this weekend.

For this week's #JackInTheBox, I gotta tell ya, I continue to be intrigued by this Norwich squad.  After quite an impressive campaign last time around, I remain surprised to see them searching for form, especially considering the investment made during the summer break, and as long as they stay in the bottom 5 they will continue to receive the lion's share of my bewildered attention.  Put simply, I don't consider them a bottom 5 side, and still don't expect them to be there for long (come on Van Wolfswinkel, you're a #JackInTheBox in the making once you heal up).

In some ways this week's #JackInTheBox was difficult and in some ways it was easy.  If you know me by now, you know I'm not a big fan of people who display poor sportsmanship.  At the same time, while the rest of the footballing world honours a legendary footballer still gracing the pitches of the Premier League on his 40th birthday, I'm also not a big fan of people who shag their brother's wife; especially when that person is a Premier League footballer on one of the most famous teams in the history of football influencing millions of children around the world over the course of 2 decades.  No, it has nothing to do with football, but has everything to do with the man himself.

In other ways, as I've said, my #JackInTheBox choice this week is quite easy.  With an underperforming but quality Norwich side reeling from injuries to two of their midfield mainstays in Snodgrass and Pilkington, it will be up to my GW 13 #JackInTheBox (alongside my GW11 #JackInTheBox) to bear the weight of expectation against a Crystal Palace side showing renewed strength in defence but who I don't believe will be able to keep Norwich at bay for a full 90 minutes, Tony Pulis or no Tony Pulis.

Walt's GW13 FPL #JackInTheBox:  Leroy Fer

 

 

 



Yes, despite leaving a bad taste in my mouth with his unsportsmanlike shenanigans at the end of the Cardiff match a few weeks ago (if you don't remember, look it up, it was quite interesting), I'm going with Mr. Leroy Fer as this week's #JackInTheBox.  Fer, after plying his trade for Eredivisie sides Feyenoord and FC Twente, moved to Norwich during this past offseason and has been a mainstay of the Norwich midfield since gameweek 2.  Of the 3 times he's made his way onto the scoresheet out of 11 games played, 2 have been within the past 2 weeks and I look to him being at the center of things flowing through the Norwich attack this weekend.

He also, including the stats for the injured Snoddy and Pilkington, tops the Norwich side in both FPL points scored and EA Sports PPI for the season to date.  At 5.8m you'll pay for the potential he provides, but with upcoming fixtures against W Brom, Sunderland, Fulham and Palace (again) among the next 7, he could be worth getting and keeping around til gameweek 20 and possibly beyond. 

In a weekend where the bottom 5 will be at the center of attention, I'm really looking forward to seeing how things pan out, and if Mr. Fer comes through as I hope and predict, I may take a shot at this famous Robot Dance that last week's #JITB has become so well-known for.

Have a great gameweek everyone...looking forward to your tales of huge FPL points and hope to be able to share one of my own.

Cheers!

Signing off from PlayDate Land







Walt

GW12 FPL #JackInTheBox

 

Prelude: Quick Lookback at the Football Blogging Awards

 

Well it's 10:30 p.m. here in the U.S. and I can't start writing about this week's #JackInTheBox without first mentioning the excitement that was going on in Manchester earlier this evening.  The 2013 Football Blogging Awards, after much anticipation, kicked off at the National Football Museum, and our very own Chief was on hand to experience first hand the glitz, glamour and honour of being one among an extremely talented group of finalists in the Best FPL Blog category.  Although the trophy did not make its way back to the Fantasy Premier League Hints headquarters, the pride and honour of being recognized by football fans and supporters as one of the top 5 FPL blogs was felt all the way here in the U.S.A. and Matej and I couldn't be more proud of what the Chief has created, built and sustained here.  To be among the recognized powerhouses of the FPL community is nothing short of a true honour, and we congratulate a very deserving winner in @FFPundits and the excellent blog Leon and his team have created.  Meeting Leon and the @FantasyYirma team (Ryan and Mark) was also a highlight of the evening, and I know that like me, you all look forward to hearing stories from the Chief about the epic evening.  Congratulations Chief on a job extremely well done and a recognition thoroughly deserved!

 

 

 

Okay, on to the #JackInTheBox.  It seems like forever ago and is almost forgotten already, but last gameweek's JackInTheBox, although playing a pivotal role in the home side's victory, did not get on the scoresheet or rake in any bonus points.  I was proud of how Howson played though and despite the disappointment that the bullet he rocketed off the post in the 71st minute didn't dip more quickly, was happy with how he played and felt good about my pick.

 

This week I face a similarly tough challenge.  The Bottom 5 line up as follows:

 

20)  Crystal Palace away to Hull City (12th)

19)  Sunderland away to Stoke City (17th)

18)  Fulham home to Swansea City (13th)

17)  Stoke City home to Sunderland (19th)

16)  West Ham home to Chelsea (4th)

 

Although ifs and buts don't count, I came awful close last week to choosing Jonathan Walters as my #JackInTheBox, and given their home fixture against a struggling (but showing signs of resurgency) Sunderland squad, I am going with Stoke.  Like the first week of my #JackInTheBox series, I have been very tempted to go with a defender (the likes of Huth and Wilson and Pieters have all caught my eye).  Interestingly enough, only Begovic and Shawcross are disqualified via their high relative ownership numbers.  Every other Stoke player is a viable candidate.

 

GW12 FPL #JackInTheBox:  Peter Crouch

 

 

 

Well, perhaps I'm letting my memories of the past get the better of me, but I can't scan the Stoke City lineup without immediately having flashbacks to perhaps the best goal I've ever witnessed on live television.  Maybe you recall what I'm talking about.  It was Stoke vs. Manchester City, March 24, 2012.  Asmir Begovic launched a ball during open play from just inside his 18-yard box.  Peter Crouch headed it wide to his right, where Jermaine Pennant headed it back to Crouch, who teed it up with the inside of his right foot before slamming a 25 yard volley across the penalty box to the top opposite corner, just beyond the fully outstretched arms of a completely surprised Joe Hart.  I remember watching it live and shaking my head, thinking "Holy crap; did that go in?!?!".  Well yes, it did; and the ball did not leave the ground from the time it left Begovic's foot to the time it folded the back of the Man City net.  Incredible.  And I'm taking a punt on Crouchy to put up some more magic at home against the Black Cats. 

 

It will be a tough match and one of those potential 6-pointers you love in a relegation battle (although yes, a little early to be talking in those terms).  In the last 3 gameweeks Sunderland have won the Tyne-Wear derby and have beaten Manchester City on either side of a disappointing loss to Hull City, while Stoke have played Man United tough in a 3-2 loss before drawing to Southampton and Swansea.  With the likes of Altidore, Fletcher, and Giaccherini applying pressure, going with a Stoke defender is way too risky.  I do see Stoke getting a hard earned result here, and am hoping that Crouch, eager to impress the home crowd, could provide another moment of brilliance and be the difference in a tightly contested 1-0 victory.  Or so I'm hoping.

 



 

And if he doesn't, well, I'll probably do something that looks a little bit like this:

 

 

Welcome back FPL and welcome back the banter.  It's been a nice little break, but we've also all missed it and are itching to get back into the swing of things.  Have a great weekend everyone and make sure Fantasy Premier League Hints is in your favorites list if it isn't already.

 

Cheers!

 

Walt



Introducing a new weekly feature: Walt's #JackInTheBox

Alright everybody; if you've been following the Fantasy Premier League Hints blog this year (which I know you have), you are keenly aware of two weekly features that currently keep Chief and Matej very busy, namely:

Chief's #HotPick, as disclosed every week in his gameweek preview, and...

Matej's #CalledIt Differential pick, as disclosed every week via Twitter and on the FPLH blog.

Well, I couldn't let these guys have all of the fun, so I am starting a new weekly feature as well, which I will disclose via Twitter and also via the FPLH blog.  It is going to be called:

Walt's #JackInTheBox.  A little intro:

Go back to your childhood for a second.  Okay, well maybe not all of you, but those of you like me who grew up before everything was digital and "virtual". We actually had real toys that you held in your hand.  I remember my tin Jack In The Box very well. It was a colorful box with a crank on the side; and when you cranked the handle the song "Pop goes the Weasel" would play.  As the end of the song got closer, the anticipation became almost too much to take, and as the song finally ended you would hear a loud POP as a big old clown jumped out of the box, surprising me and making me laugh with joy. Alright, maybe that's embellishing a little, but you know, you can see the same thing a hundred times as a kid and be just as excited on the 100th time as you were on the 1st;)

Same concept here. The weekly #JackInTheBox pick is going to be someone from the bottom 5 teams of the EPL table who also has ownership of less than 3%. Someone who could come from out of the blue and give a VERY nice surprise to the lucky FPL owners keen enough to search out the diamond in the rough and capitalize on their astute observation and forecasting.

I will post my #JackInTheBox prediction each week on Friday and then pray like crazy that I don't look like a fool come the end of the gameweek!  Please follow along and let me know what you think of my picks. I look forward to your banter, critiques, "told me so's", and general feedback, but please don't forget the "attaboy's" when one of these gold nuggets comes good and makes me look smart too:)

Oh, this is gonna be fun. Tune in Friday for the first "official".....

Jack In The Box

*Disclaimer: We reserve the right to adjust the parameters for the weekly #JackInTheBox at any time.

Cheers,

Walt

The Rearview Mirror: GW9 FPL Wrap-up

Well folks, 9 FPL gameweeks are in the books. Although technically just a tad short, most are considering the season to be 1/4 of the way over. It's a good time to check in and see where you stand. Season going the way you hoped/expected? Are you sitting pretty and hoping for the good returns to continue?  Regardless of where you stand, I hope this wrap-up finds you well and enjoying your FPL season so far.

So, the FPL GW9 average was a stout 57 points! This is the second highest gameweek average of the season, being eclipsed only by DGW1 involving Chelsea and Aston Villa. With that in mind, hopefully you notched a nice score this week. I know I've seen a lot of 70s and 80s (even a 90 or two, right Matej?) in the league tables I peruse for fun in my down time ;)

As far as the season as a whole is concerned, given that we are understood to be roughly 1/4 of the way through the season, I thought it an opportune time to give you some benchmark info. If you take the GW average of every GW and total them up, it amounts to 436 points. For what it's worth, this gives you a good idea what an overall "average" score is so far this season.

Okay, on to the GW9 wrap-up. I will bring it to you in my usual format; and away we go:

Crystal Palace 0 - 2 Arsenal

Palace begin anew without the man who led them to promotion

Arteta slots home PK before later seeing red

Arsenal stay top!

Top FPL point earners: Mertesacker 9, Koscielny 9, Sagna 7 and Szczesny 7

Aston Villa 0 - 2 Everton

Howard puts in Herculean performance, deservedly earning crazy FPL points

Battle of the American Keepers is close (but not really)

Lukaku keeps rubbing Jose's face in it, Osman takes over nicely for Barkley

To the victors go the spoils: Howard 14, Osman 10, Lukaku 8

Liverpool 4 - 1 West Brom

Suarez steals the show with dazzling hat trick

Sturridge "chips in" with a beauty of his own

W Brom scored at some point too (questionable PK if you ask me)

Cheers to those with Suarez 17, Sturridge 8, Johnson 7

Manchester United 3 - 2 Stoke City

Tense nerves at Old Trafford as Utd fall behind 2-1

Rooney and Chicharito provide heroics as Man U scrape out 3-2 home victory

Are United losing that subtle edge of invincibility and intimidation?

Happy FPL managers started or captained Rooney 12, RVP 11 and Arnautovic 6

Norwich 0 - 0 Cardiff

Hooper to Pilkington a toenail away from going up in 65th; SO CLOSE!

Scoreless draw provides big clean sheet points all around

v Wolfswinkel and Fer provide excellent example of unsportsmanlike conduct

Marshall 12, Caulker 9, Ruddy 8

Southampton 2 - 0 Fulham

Lambert starts things off in 20th

Rodriguez doubles up in 42nd

Fort Southampton prove impenetrable once again

Lambert 12, Rodriguez 11, Ward-Prowse 9  *(Yes, Ward-Prowse; the one on our benches)

Sunderland 2 - 1 Newcastle

Fletcher rises to the occasion

Debuchy equalizes and does crazy knee-slide

Borini literally brings the fans out of their seats

Emotions/excitement of Tyne-Wear derby indescribable - WOW!

Borini 8, Debuchy 8, Fletcher 7

Chelsea 2 - 1 Manchester City

Torres feeds Schurrle a goal for lunch

Aguero continues scoring run with sublime equalizer

Nastasic to Torres (through/over Hart's onrushing hands) for the winner!

Big FPL points for Torres 9, Schurrle 7, Aguero 6

Swansea 0 - 0 West Ham

European involvement getting the better of the Swans?

Michu owners (including myself) getting a little antsy

Hey, that's Carlton Cole, isn't it!?!

Vorm 9, Williams 9, Jaaskelainen 9

Tottenham 1 - 0 Hull City

Visitors hold tight for 80 minutes

Soldado clutch from the spot

Steve Bruce nicely whispers his disagreement with penalty decision

Vertonghen 12, Soldado 9, Dawson 9

Onwards and upwards, everyone. Gameweeks 10 and beyond await!

________________________________________________________________________

Those of us at FPLHints (especially Chief) would like to thank you for voting for us in the Best FPL Blog category of this year's Football Blogging Awards.  

We would also like to congratulate our fellow and well-deserving finalists:
(@FanFootFirst @FantasyYirma @FFPundits and @FFScout).

Please vote for @FPLHints in the final round by tweeting the following:

I am voting in @TheFBAs for @FPLHints as the Best #FPL Blog

If you don't have Twitter please vote for us via the alternative methods.

Additional information on this year's Football Blogging Awards can be found on Twitter: @TheFBAs.